Association between dietary potassium intake and cognitive function among older adults: A cross-sectional study

This study investigated the association between dietary potassium intake and cognitive function in older adults.

We conducted a cross-sectional observational study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014. A total of 2555 participants, aged 60 years and older, were included in the analysis. Dietary potassium intake was estimated by averaging two 24-h dietary recalls. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), which measures processing speed. We applied multivariate logistic regression models to examine the relationship between potassium intake and cognitive function.

Among the 2555 participants included from NHANES 2011-2014, those in the highest quartile of potassium intake (Q4) demonstrated significantly better cognitive function compared to those in the lowest quartile (Q1) (OR = 0.542, 95 % CI: 0.378-0.778, p < 0.05) in the fully adjusted model. The relationship between dietary potassium intake and cognitive function in U.S. adults was found to be nonlinear (p for nonlinear = 0.028). In univariate analysis, as dietary potassium intake increased, the risk of suffering from cognitive decline or abnormalities decreased (OR (Q2) = 0.592; OR (Q3) = 0.401; OR (Q4) = 0.34; p < 0.001). In statistically significant subgroup analyses, it was also found that people with high dietary potassium intake were at less risk of cognitive impairment or abnormalities than those with low dietary potassium intake (p < 0.001).

Higher dietary potassium intake may reduce the risk of cognitive decline or abnormalities in older adults.